Mercado competed in 37 games for the Matadors in his junior season, splitting time at first base, catcher and designated hitter. He hit for a .233 average with eight doubles, a home run and 14 RBIs. Mercado's best day at the plate came in a game against Seattle (2/22) when he picked up three hits and drove in three runs. He also scored 10 runs, drew 10 walks and was a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts.

2013 - Big West Conference Honorable Mention

Mercado performed well in his first weekend as the team’s starting catcher. Mercado caught three of the four games during the series against Saint Mary’s and hit .300 at the plate. He hit a double and scored three runs to bring his career totals at the time to four and eight, respectively. At Washington State, he drove in his first run of the year by hitting his first career home run. In the series against Utah Valley, he recorded three hits, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. In the series sweep at Hawai’i, Mercado went 7-for-13 with two doubles and four RBIs as he had multiple hits in all three games. At No. 8 UCLA, his RBI double in the first gave CSUN a 3-0 lead as the Matadors won 4-1. On the season, Mercado had 29 runs scored and a home run and led the team with 16 doubles.

2012

Mercado made his first collegiate start in the finale at Sacramento State. Defensively, Mercado threw out two runners attempting to steal second. Mercado recorded his first hit, a two-run single, against #22 UCLA in the home opener. The RBIs were the first of his career as well. He went 0-for-3 against Northwestern (2/26) but had an RBI. Against San Diego State (3/4) at the Aztec Invitational, Mercado went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI for his first multi-hit game as a Matador. He entered the game as a pinch hitter at Portland (3/16 - Gm. 1) and singled in his only at bat. At LMU (3/20), Mercado went 1-for-2 and scored two runs while walking three times. He came in as a pinch hitter against UC Davis and had an RBI double that scored CSUN’s first run (5/19). Mercado started the final game of the year at catcher and went 1-for-4 against Pacific (5/27).

OTAY RANCH HIGH SCHOOL

Mercado played four years of baseball for the Mustangs, seeing time as both a starting second baseman and finishing his career as the starting catcher. He was named to the 1st Team All-Mesa League as a sophomore, junior and senior and was named MVP his final two seasons. Mercado's team won the 2009 Mesa League Championship and he graduated from Otay Ranch in 2011 with a 3.3 GPA.